1. Field of Use
This invention relates generally to dispensing device containing sterile material in liquid or powdered form which is to be transferred to another container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In hospitals, pharmacies, and laboratories, it is often necessary to transfer sterile material in liquid or powdered (such as water, medication, drugs or the like) form from containers such as a vial or bottle furnished by a supplier, to another container while maintaining absolute sterility conditions during the transfer. For example, sterile liquid materials are sometimes supplied in a sealed vial and the needle of a hypodermic syringe or similar device is inserted through the seal, the required amount of liquid is withdrawn into the syringe, and then injected into another sealed container such as a flexible minibag which is used in connection with intravenous administration of liquid. In the case where powdered material are supplied in the vial, the hypodermic syringe is used to inject a liquid diluent, such as sterile water, into the vial to dissolve the material and to then use the syringe to withdraw the diluted mixture from the vial for subsequent injection into the other container. In either case, use of a hypodermic syringe or similar device to effect the transfer increases the risk of contamination of the material. To avoid this problem and reduce the risk of contamination, some vials in which the material is furnished are constructed to enable the material to be transferred directly to the other container. Or, a sterile disposable device is furnished which is insertable through the seal of the vial and adapts it for direct connection to the other container to enable transfer of the material. The following U.S. Patents show the state of the art, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,957,609, 2,957,501, 2,761,833, 2,724,383, 2,693,418, 2,594,161, 2,143,661, 1,455,047, 1,154,269, 489,620.